Tiny Spark’s Guide to Good Giving

In this miniseries, we unpack the many choices and dilemmas donors face at the end of the year and hear advice about how to give wisely during the holiday season.

PART ONE: GIVE LOCALLY OR GLOBALLY?

We explore effective altruism, which urges donors to stretch their charitable dollars as far as possible by giving to the world’s extreme poor. But aren’t families living in our local homeless shelters equally deserving? We dive into the local versus global debate with Charlie Bresler of the nonprofit The Life You Can Save, which guides donors on fighting extreme poverty.

PART TWO: TOOLS FOR GOOD GIVING

The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Stacy Palmer suggests ways to vet solicitors who call our homes on behalf of big name charities. She also weighs in on the debate about whether we should rate charities based on overhead costs, and she makes the case for modest, year-round giving instead of holiday-focused giving.

PART THREE: IS THIS CHARITY ANY GOOD?

Columbia University professor Doug White says before giving to any charity, donors should ask key questions of certain people there. We explore the growing pressure on nonprofits to prove their impact and ask whether a results-driven agenda risks steering charities away from the hardest-to-serve populations.

MEDIA INTERVIEWS

Amy was interviewed about this series on PRI’s The World and New Hampshire Public Radio:

Amy discusses effective holiday giving and answers listeners’ questions on NHPR’s live call-in show, The Exchange. She’s joined by Mary Ellen Jackson, consultant for the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits.